1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographic film assemblage having a instant or self-developing film chip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Photographic film assemblages containing a section or chip of instant or self-developing transparency film and especially those which are capable of producing a fully developed positive 35 mm frame are generally well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,423 discloses a film assemblage which, when processed, produces a fully mounted positive transparency which is ready for immediate viewing. However, its versatility is limited insofar as it needs a camera having a special film advancing system in order to move it between a pair of pressure rollers and a semi-enclosing processing chamber for protecting the film assemblage during the development of a visible image.
Another example of such a film assemblage is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,637. In this example, a plurality of film assemblages are stacked in a film cassette having an exposure opening in a forward wall, and a cover element is located between the uppermost film assemblage in the stack and the exposure aperture to prevent premature exposure thereof during loading of the film cassette into a camera. The cover element is provided with a manually actuatable tab and each of the film assemblages is provided with first and second leaders. After the film cassette has been inserted into a camera and the latter closed, the operator grasps the tab of the cover element and pulls it in a direction so as to remove the cover element. An image-recording element of the film assemblage is then exposed and the first leader is manually pulled so as to move the exposed image-recording element into superposition with an opaque element. Next, the second leader is manually pulled so as to move the superposed elements between a pair of spread rollers and then to the exterior of the camera. During passage between the spread rollers, a container of processing liquid is ruptured and its contents spread as a layer between the superposed elements to initiate the formation of a visible image in an image-receiving element. During such formation, the image-recording element is protected from further exposure to the ambient light by opaque layers located on opposite sides of the superposed elements. After development, the image-receiving element is stripped from the remainder of the film assemblage. A drawback with this system is that tolerance levels must be kept to an absolute minimum in order to insure the proper alignment of the two elements during their superpositioning and subsequent movement between the spread rollers.
Still another example of such a film assemblage is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,966. In this assemblage a film frame having a photosensitive layer (image-recording layer) is bonded to a film mount. Also secured to the mount is a folded foil sheet, which encompasses a pad saturated with processing liquid so as to prevent it from drying out before use. After exposure, elements of a camera unfold the sheet such that a portion thereof will be laid across a surface of the film frame during passage between a pair of rollers so as to prevent further exposure of the film when it exits from a camera. Again, this type of film assemblage is not readily adaptable for use with most conventional 35 mm cameras. For other examples of means for covering an exposed photosensitive layer with an opaque sheet at the moment that it moves between a pair of rollers and then to the exterior of a camera, see U.S. Pat. No. 2,616,805.